


Turn the Record Over

by CronbachAlpha



Series: The Gaslight Series [3]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Songfic, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 15:59:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CronbachAlpha/pseuds/CronbachAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane thought Thor would wait forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turn the Record Over

            Jane didn’t understand what went wrong. She was the one Thor first met when he came to Earth. The one he bonded with. The one he first kissed. The one he swore to come back to. The one he did come back to.

            She didn’t know why what they had faded away. She didn’t know when she became so distant or when Thor became a distraction. All she knew was she needed to prove her theory and so long as Thor was there, she never would. He was a distraction – a wonderful one, but a distraction never the less. In a way, she became obsessed with what Thor told her about the realms, about the portals. She wanted to know everything about them and she found that being with Thor was almost a chore.

She told Thor they needed a break; that she needed to finish her work; that when she was done they could finally be a couple. It wasn’t fair to him that she couldn’t be what he wanted.

Thor reluctantly agreed.

            Then the thing in New York happened. Thor had her evacuated and took off.

            She knew he’d back.

            She just didn’t expect someone else in tow.

 

_Have you seen my hands, just look at ‘em shake._  
 _And the song just keeps on repeating, drop the needle again._  
 _And I dance with your ghost. But that ain’t the way…_  
 _I can’t move on and I can’t stay the same._  
 _And all my friends say…_

 

            SHIELD wanted to help her with her research. Jane was happy to comply. With the funding, she could finally finish her research.

            When she saw Thor, she ran to him, dove into his arms, and kissed him, fully on the lips and deeply. She had fretted when he went to New York to fight and seeing him again was a relief.

            She felt Thor tense, not responding to her kiss, and she pulled back and looked up, confused. She then heard a low, animalistic growl behind her and turned to see a man glaring at her. His green eyes were burning with rage and he looked ready to tear her to pieces. Thor went to speak but the man stormed off, his body tense.

            “What’s his problem?” she asked, confused. Thor sighed.

            “We have much to discuss, Lady Jane.”

  
 _“Hey, turn the record over._  
 _Hey, I’ll see you on the flip side._  
 _There you go, turn the key and engine over…_  
 _Let her go, let somebody else lay at her feet.”_

_  
_ Her hands shook as he spoke.

           His name was Clint Barton. He was a master marksman. Thor’s brother had brainwashed him, made him do awful things to the people he cared for. Thor wanted to make up for what his brother did, to soothe the man’s soul and give him comfort.

           What he didn’t expect was to fall in love with him.

           “…He’s your…boyfriend?” Jane found herself, asking.

           “I believe that is the term you Midgardians use,” Thor nodded.

           She glanced down the ridge where the man was firing off arrows, looking absolutely livid. She felt that she was the only one who, given the situation, should be feeling rage.

           “…How long?” she asked, quietly.

           “For quite some time now,” Thor sighed. She could tell he was trying to remain diplomatic.

           “How did it happen?”

           “I do not know the answer to that, either. I wished to make amends for my brother’s actions. He…hurt him, deeply. We grew close and…as he would say, ‘it just happened’. It was not planned.”

           Jane mutely nodded.

  
 _Have you seen my heart, have you seen how it bleeds?_  
 _And the nights are so long, baby, out here in the deep._  
 _The tick, ticking of hours lonely… I hear the alarm._  
 _I used to hear when she would sleep in my arms,_  
 _But “Better Sense” says…_

_  
_            “I thought you were going to come back to me,” Jane said. She tried to keep her voice calm, but it ached and burned. Her cheeks felt flush and her eyes stung.

           “I did not know if you wanted me back,” Thor said. His voice sounded odd – like he was annoyed with her. She never expected that from him.

           “You know I love you,”

           “You wished me away. You could not give me what I needed and wanted at that time,” Thor said, his forehead furrowing with either confusion or annoyance.

           “At the time, yes,” Jane retorted, her tone a bit terse. “But not indefinitely,”

           “I do not know how I was supposed to be aware of your intentions,” Thor said, remaining calm. “You did not know when nor if you would be ready,”

           “We were taking a break – I didn’t expect you to go and find someone else.”

           Thor’s eyebrow furrowed. “You did not want me around. I was a distraction to your work. I did not wish to interrupt you, Lady Jane,”

           “I didn’t mean it like that,” Jane said, exasperated. She then wondered if she was that terribly blunt to him then. Hearing those words parroted back to her made her flinch.

           “I do not understand what you meant,” Thor said, shaking his head. “But you did not want me to interrupt your work. My relationship with Little Hawk was not intended, but it just happened.”  
  
  
 _“Hey, turn the record over._  
 _Hey, I’ll see you on the flip side._  
 _There you go, turn the key and engine over…_  
 _Let her go, let somebody else lay at her feet.”_  


           Jane glanced down the hill, seeing a shorter man talking with Clint. The archer looked annoyed and she suspected she was the cause.

           She genuinely couldn’t picture the two together. Thor was a happy, carefree man. This Clint looked downright miserable and cranky. Maybe Thor saw something she couldn’t – or wouldn’t – see. As far as she was concerned, Thor didn’t exactly pick a winner.

           “…Him, though?” she asked, throat burning.

           “Aye,” Thor nodded. “He is a good man and warrior.”

           That explained it a bit more, Jane mused. The Asgardians had a warrior culture, from what he had told her. It wasn’t that shocking that Thor would fall for a fellow warrior.

           But still.

           “…You promised to come back and to protect me,” she said, softly.

           “I have not taken that vow back,” Thor said. “Because my heart rests with another does not mean I care less for you.”

  
_And all my friends say…_   


           Jane knew that, deep down. He’d always protect her if she needed it. If she sought him out, he would find her and keep her safe. She knew that. She helped him lose his arrogance, helped him become more humble, and helped him become more human. They had something she knew Clint would never have with Thor. She helped him become a better man.

           It just hurt like hell that Clint was the one Thor found a reason to stay that way.

           She looked away from Thor and turned hear head back to the archer. She was silent, watching the man shoot while ignoring his companion. She glanced over at Thor, watching him watch Clint, chuckling deeply when the archer elbowed his companion in the stomach. Thor just shook his head, smiling, his eyes shimmering and full of love.

           It was then that Jane realized she needed to let go.

  
_“Hey, turn the record over._   
_Hey, I’ll see you on the flip side._   
_There you go, turn the key and engine over…_   
_Let her go, let somebody else lay at my feet.”_   


           “…Does he make you happy?” Jane asked, softly.

           Thor nodded.

           “Immensely,” he said, without any hint of hesitation. He glanced back at her, eyes soft and apologetic.

           “…I wish it did not have to end this way,” he said, carefully. Jane just sighed, closing her eyes to compose herself.

           “I know…I know,” she sighed, softly. “But it wasn’t fair of me to push you away and then expect you to not find someone else…I haven’t seen you this happy before.”

           Thor was quiet. Jane opened her eyes, meeting the god’s deep blue eyes and quizzical gaze and smiled, softly. She was going to miss this look. Gently, she touched his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

           “And I’m happy that he makes you this happy.”

           Thor smiled, warmly, at her.

           She was surprised it didn’t hurt.

  
 _Where you used to be…_  
 _where you used to be._  
 _Where you used to be, here with me._

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics to "45" belong to the talented Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem. The song can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oST77VRHXt0
> 
> This is a companion piece to "You're Cute When You're Jealous" from my story Thunderstruck http://archiveofourown.org/works/730998/chapters/1367284
> 
> When I was writing this, I expected it to be shorter. However, the lyrics ran a bit longer than what I wanted to write, so I feel this story's a bit too stretched. 
> 
> I would like to note that I don't hate Jane Foster as a character. I just find the depiction of her and Thor's relationship to be extremely weak.


End file.
